Vietnam
by MarkandIdrinktea
Summary: Mark and Roger meet at a military boarding school and immediately become good friends. But what will happen when it's time for them to go to war? Rated T just in case. Possible Mark/Roger! Disclaimer: I do not own RENT, all credit goes to Jonathan Larson. This story contains lots of talk about the military and Vietnam war so possible trigger warning? Idk! ENJOY! :):):):):):)
1. Chapter 1: Orientation

Author's Note: SO EXCITED FOR THIS NEW FIC! Now that Will I? is complete, I have moved on to a Mark/Roger fanficiton which I am pretty excited about! As you can probably tell, I SHIP IT! Please enjoy!

CHAPTER 1: ORIENTATION

School started on September 4th 1970. Mark kissed goodbye to his mom and waved to his father, before standing up as straight as he could, and walking into the open doors of the school.

He hadn't been drafted yet, but his parents suspected he would be, and sent him off to a military boarding school. Technically, he couldn't get drafted until he was 17, and he was 16 at the time...although his birthday was approaching.

He carries his few small bags inside and goes to talk to the scary looking man at the front desk. He couldn't even get a word out before the man asked for his name. "Mark...Mark Cohen." He tells him. The man nods slightly and looks through a long list of names. After a couple page turns he puts down his clipboard and reaches for a key. "Room 204 B." He says, handing mark the silver key. Mark nods and thanks him, before wandering around, and hoping to stumble upon his room.

Eventually he finds the B wing, and has to walk all the way down the hallway before finding 204. He tries to open the door with the small silver object he held in his hand. This is unsuccessful at first, but he finally manages to get the door to budge. The wooden door opens to reveal a room with two small beds, which share a night stand, as well as ONE dark brown dresser leaning against the opposite wall. Each bed has an antique looking chest at the foot of it. Mark thinks of a treasure chest when he first sees them, until he realizes the only 'treasure' he'll be putting in there will be his underwear.

Mark spots a door that leads to a small bathroom with a shower, a toilet, and a sink surrounded by white, cracked marble, with a dusty mirror hanging above it. Mark sighs, already missing his luxurious house in Scarsdale...but ends up smiling at the fact that he'll never have to go back there.

Suddenly he hears someone trying to open the door, with some trouble as well. Mark drops his bags on the carpeted floor outside the bathroom, and goes to open the door for whomever was outside. He opens the door and sees a boy, much taller than him, with dirty blond hair that goes a little past his ears, and gorgeous green eyes. He seems already quite built, unlike Mark, who although he was skinny...did not have much muscle.

"Thanks." The boy smirks and walks into the room, that is being illuminated only by the sunlight shining in through the two small windows. The tall boy looks around and then sighs. "Not very big, but it will do." He says already stretching out on the bed on the left side of the room, which he had already claimed his.

Mark smiles. "Yeah, I'm Mark." He says shyly. Roger smiles. "Nice to meet you Mark, I'm Roger." He holds out his hand for Mark to shake, and mark does. After a moment Roger starts talking again. "So are we the only ones in this room?" He says, glancing around again.

"Unless someone's gonna sleep on the floor, then I guess so." Mark says. Roger chuckles. "Great."

Mark and Roger then begin busying themselves with unpacking their stuff and putting clothes into the drawers of the creaky old dresser. Roger takes the top two drawers (probably because he's at least two inches taller than Mark) and Mark takes the bottom two.

"When's dinner?" Roger asks, halfway through stuffing things into his trunk which sat situated at the end of his bed. Mark shrugs. "No idea, we should probably go down soon though, we don't want to get in trouble on the first day." He tells Roger. Roger nearly laughs.

"Oh Marky, my middle name is trouble." He puts his arm around Mark's shoulders and they both walk out of the room, heading down the marble staircase which leads to the dining area.

Mark could tell right then and there, that he and Roger were going to be great friends.


	2. Chapter 2: Friends

Vietnam

CHAPTER 2: Friends

"Come on Mark! It'll be fun!" Roger tries to convince his roommate. Mark looks at Roger. "I already told you Roger! It's dangerous!" Mark complains. Two days into school, and Roger was already trying to turn Mark into a bad boy. "No it's not! Trust me! People do it all the time!" Roger explains.

"Someone died from it just last year!" Mark tries to reason. "Oh please, they probably did it wrong." Roger rolls his eyes. "I'll probably do it wrong!" Mark whines. Roger's eyes soften slightly.

"Look Mark, if you don't want to come you don't have to. But your my best friend so...it would be really fun if you did." Mark takes this to heart. He couldn't tell if Roger meant it or not, but he felt like he did.

What had happened was Roger's friend Timmy had invited Roger to go jump off the old bridge behind the campus with him, and Roger asked if Mark could come too. Timmy replied with a simple 'the more the merrier' and Roger returned back to the dorm room beaming.

Mark of course was not in love with the idea, but then again...he felt that he needed to man up, and this would help him.

"Fine, I'll do it." Mark says. Roger smiles like a goof and hugs Mark. "Yes!" He says, before going through his bag, looking for something to wear. He pulls out a pair of blue swim trunks. "Oh crap! I didn't think to bring any swimming gear." Mark says. Roger laughs at this.

"Here, I have two pairs." He says before throwing Mark the pair of blue ones and picking up another pair of red ones. "Oh thanks Rog." Mark says politely.

"I'll change in the bathroom." Roger says, walking into the white marble room. "Ok." Mark says, taking off his clothes and putting on Roger's shorts. They were a little big, but looked fine. Mark examined himself in the mirror. He realized how skinny he looked. He could slightly see his abs poking out from beneath his skin, but he certainly wasn't the hulk. Two seconds later, Roger walks out of the bathroom. He sees Mark looking in the mirror. "You look great Cohen. Put on a shirt and lets go." He says. Mark smiles and looks over at Roger and his toned body. "Ok."

...

Mark and Roger quietly make there way outside. There was no walking around the halls after 9:00, let alone leaving the premesis, but the boys managed to escape. Mark was obviously on edge, and Roger could sense it. "Hey it'll be fun. Just relax." He says, patting Mark on the shoulder. Mark nods and smiles, but continues to focus on getting to the bridge.

They walk through a small grove of trees and eventually end up at the crickety old bridge. It was seemingly made of iron, and was visibly rusting. It was about 20 feet up, with what looked like shallow water beneath it. "See? It's not that far up!" Roger says. But Mark thought otherwise. They see Timmy and two other boys already standing on the bridge. "Hey guys!" Roger calls, walking towards them. "Hey Roger!" Timmy calls back. Mark already hated him.

"This is Mark." Roger says, gesturing to the short blond boy. "Sup." Timmy says. Mark smiles politely. "Not much." He says, trying to sound cool. The two other boys who's names they didn't know, decided on a method to decide who goes first.

"We decided that the only fair way to settle this was with a bottle." One of them says, pulling out an old beer bottle. He motions for everyone to sit down, and they form a little circle on the bridge. "Now, whoever it lands on first has to jump first, and then so on." Timmy says. Roger and Mark nod, and Mark almost wants to get on his knees and pray that it doesn't land on him.

Timmy uses his strong, slender fingers to spin the bottle. It spins around almost three times before landing right in between Mark and Roger. "I'll go." Roger says, not wanting Mark to be the first sacrificed. "You sure?" Timmy says. Roger nods. Mark wants to, but doesn't protest. Roger gets up on the edge of the bridge, and climbs over the side. He keeps one hand on the side of the bridge and his other hand free.

"Here I go." He says. And before Mark could so much as blink, Roger is jumping off into the dark, sparkling waters below. Suddenly Mark hears a splash. He looks down over the bridge and sees Roger with his normal goofy smile plastered on his face. "MARK!" He yells, laughing. "Yeah?" Mark yells down. "YOU SHOULD COME DOWN HERE!" He says, still laughing. Mark nods, but isn't sure Roger can see him. He turns around to Timmy and Co.

"You gonna jump next Marky?" Timmy asks, almost mockingly. Mark cringes at this nickname, but nods. "Yeah." He says while taking off his shirt. He hops over the rail, so he's standing like Roger was, with one hand on the rail.

But he can't bring himself to do it. From here, it looks like such a big jump. "Maybe I shouldn't-"

"Come on Marky! Just do it!" One of the boys shouts. Mark still hesitates. It's not until a hand from behind pushes him, that he loses his balance and goes flying off the edge of the bridge. He can feel his hand stinging, and realized he must have cut it on the side of the bridge that he was gripping so tightly to. _Those idiots._ Mark thinks to himself.

Suddenly, he is overwhelmed by cold water, and he sees black, before rising to the surface and taking in a deep breath. "Wasn't that fun?!" Roger asks enthusiastically?! Mark realized that Roger didn't know that his friends pushed him off. Mark puts on an enthusiastic smile."Yeah!" He says, beaming. Not too long after, Timmy and the other boys join them in the murky water. "Whoa that was awesome." One of them says. "Yeah."

Soon, they are all getting out of the water, and Marks hand is stinging like hell. He's pretty sure it's infected. He quickly jumps out and grabs his shirt, keeping it in his hand so no one will the blood gushing out of his palm. "Thanks for inviting us guys! That rocked!" Roger says. Mark nods and thanks them too.

"See you guys tomorrow!" Roger says, before taking off with Mark at his side. "That wasn't so bad now was it Marky?" He asks jokingly. Mark was ok when Roger called him by that name. He smiles brightly. "Yeah."

They continue walking and reach the dormitories. "Don't you want to put your shirt on? It's pretty cold." Roger points out. Mark shrugs, and tries to cover the fact that he's shivering. "Let's just go inside." He says, and Roger doesn't hesitate.

They reach their rooms, and Mark instantly grabs his pajamas. "I'll change in the bathroom." He says. He goes into the small room and examines his hand. There is a long cut running diagonally across it. Its pretty deep. "Shit." He says under his breath. He looks at how much blood his white shirt had soaked up, and almost passes out. He didn't have a first aid kit with him, which means he would have to go to the nurse.

He manages to wrap his hand in toilet paper and put on his pajamas without getting blood everywhere. Suddenly there is a knock on the door. "You ok Mark?" He hears Roger's voice. "Yeah I think I'm just gonna take a shower real quick." He says. "Ok." Roger replies, and Mark hears his footsteps retreating.

Mark turns on the shower, with no intent of actually getting in it. His hair was already wet, so Roger wouldn't know the difference. Mark quickly searches through the tiny cupboard that was underneath the sink. He feels a huge wave of relief wash over him when he finds a first aid kit.

He looks through the contents. He finds a cleaner which he puts on his hand to prevent any infection. He then dabs his entire hand completely dry so he can get a look at the cut. He may or may not need stitches. It had been 20 minutes and it still hadn't stopped bleeding. He continues to look through the kit until he finds a needle and thread.

His heart drops. He knows what he has to do. His father had taught him how to stitch up cuts if they were too deep, and it was certainly coming in handy now. Mark manages to stitch up his hand, it looks messy, but at least it would heal. It hurt like hell though, and Mark almost started crying. He turns off the shower with tears in his eyes. Why doesn't he just tell Roger?

Because Roger had a great time and he though that Mark did too. No need to rain on his parade.

Although he did just have to stitch up his hand in under five minutes in his dorm room without his roommate knowing. But that didn't matter, he just wanted to keep Roger happy.

Mark takes his bloody t-shirt and stuffs it in the garbage, before covering it with tissues and toilet paper. He then carefully puts back the first aid kit and walks out of the bathroom. He sees Roger lying on his side, facing away from him. But the light is still on.

Mark puts his and Roger's wet swimsuits in the bathroom to dry, and goes to lie down. He reaches to turn off the light on the little nightstand in between them. "Night Mark." Roger says, right as the light turns off. "Night Rog." Mark says.

Oh the things he would do for his friends.


	3. Chapter 3: Best Birthday Ever

CHAPTER 3:

Classes continued, and people continued to complain about the work. Mark and Roger were both overwhelmed with work, but managed. On top of this education though, they were at a military school. They had hours of training everyday, and they were both anticipating the day they would turn 17, and then there was no going back.

Roger was a month older than Mark, and his birthday was coming up. Mark pretended to be excited, and he was...but they both know what came along with this birthday. Roger's name would be put in with the rest of the kids, and he may or may not be drafted, but neither Mark or Roger wanted him to be.

Many kids were making a hype about it. Many of them were excited to go fight for their country. Roger respected this, but getting drafted also meant you could die. But he put on a brave face, not wanting to freak out Mark.

Him and Mark were best friends now. They told each other almost everything, then rarely fought...at least for real (wrestling matches in their dorm room at 10 PM didn't count) They did homework together everyday, they had all the same classes, they sat next to each other at dinner and assemblies, they joked, laughed, cried, stood up for, and had fun with each other everyday.

And Roger's birthday meant that might all be over.

Roger wasn't too worried, he didn't think they'd draft him right away...they rarely drafted seventeen year olds. Even if he was drafted, he was confident he could do it. He was very fast, and strong. He had a willpower and drive that not many other people his age had.

Mark on the other hand...Roger was a little worried about.

Despite his small stature, Mark was a pretty strong kid, he was also very fast...he just didn't have the confidence that Roger did. But Mark did have something that Roger didn't. Bravery. Roger was brave sure...but only to an extent. Mark on the other hand, was one of the bravest people Roger knew.

And thats really what scared Roger. The fact that he knew if Mark had the chance, he would throw himself in the line of fire for the people he loved...without even thinking about it. But Mark had time. Roger always told Mark that neither of them would get drafted. He always tried to assure Mark that even if they did get drafted, they'd be put in the same troop, and nothing would change.

But Roger was very wrong.

...

Roger's birthday rolled around, and Mark decorated their dorm room. During training he faked an injury and asked to go to the nurse. Roger of course wanted to go with him, but Mark insisted he was fine.

Instead of going to the nurse, he snuck out to the convenience store across the street and bought party stuff. He then went back to the dorm room and blew up balloons and taped signs to the walls. Blue and green streamers (Roger's two favorite colors) ran criss-crossing across the room of wood. Mark had drawn Roger a picture of the two of them (he was a very good artist) and also bought him a pretty expensive watch.

Mark had told his parents that the school was going on a trip and that he needed money for it. They sent him $200 in the mail, and Mark used it to buy Roger the amazing looking, designer brand watch. The second he saw it in the store, he knew he had to get it for Roger. He really hoped he liked it.

Mark then put on Roger's favorite album on the vinyl player they had in their room (which Roger had bought a month ago)

He then checked the clock and saw that training was ending soon, and Roger would be arriving home any minute. He hid behind Roger's bed on the far side of the room and prepared to jump out with a noisemaker and scream "SURPRISE!" in Roger's face.

Two moments later, Mark heard the key to the dorm room jiggling and he prepared himself to jump. The second he heard the door open, he jumped up and screamed his greeting at Roger's shocked face, and blowing his noise maker.

"Mark what is all this?!" He talk/yells, beaming. "It's your birthday silly! I had to decorate!" Mark says, realizing how much like a girl he sounded. "Aw thanks Marky!" Roger yells, hugging Mark tightly.

Mark goes over to the dresser and gestures the the card, drawing, and gently wrapped present. "It's not much but..." Mark trails off. "Mark! It's perfect!" Roger says, still smiling his goofy smile. Roger reaches for his card. It was one of those cheesy hallmark birthday cards, but Roger got a kick out of it. On the inside in Mark's neat handwriting it said: _Thanks for being the best friend ever...HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROGER!_

Roger smiled brightly and hugged Mark again, before his eyes fell on the drawing that Mark had made. It was a picture of him and Roger sitting on the floor of their dorm room, playing cards (which is something they did often)

Mark had perfectly captured the goofy grin on Roger's face as he seemingly revealed an ace to Mark, and Mark's laugh as he realized that Roger had just won the game for the fourth time in a row. "Oh my god Cohen." Roger says, taking in the pencil drawing. "This is amazing...I love it." He says, and he looks on the verge of tears.

"I'm gonna have to frame it." He says with a laugh, hugging Mark for the third time that day. Finally it's time for the watch. Roger begins undoing the careful wrapping job on the small box. "I really hope you like it...I wasn't sure if-"

"I'm sure I'll love it." Roger says, continuing to unwrap the small gift. He gets all the colorful paper off, to reveal a little black, velvet, box. Roger raises an eyebrow at Mark, and Mark smiles. Roger gently opens the box and Mark is only watching his expression when he does. His eyes are wide, and a small smile soon grows into a huge grin as he moves to take the watch out of the box.

"Mark this is...I don't even-I really don't know what to say." Roger says, laughing lightly. Mark turns the watch so that the back is facing Roger, and Roger's eyes widen even more when he sees the engraving on the back.

 _R.D._

 _9-4-70_

"Oh my god you got it engraved?!" Roger almost screams. Then he does that thing when he furrows his eyebrows, and narrows his eyes. "9-4-7-" He stops. "September 4th, 1970...the day we met." He says. Mark nods and smiles. "Mark...this is beautiful." Roger says, looking into Marks blue eyes. "I'm so glad you like it." Mark says.

Roger shakes his head at this. "I love it." He says, still beaming, and putting the black and gold watch on. Mark then smiles deviously and heads over to the bathroom. "Well if you love that..." He says, carrying out a medium sized birthday cake. Roger's eyes are almost bulging out of his head. "CAKE!" He screams, almost jumping on top of Mark.

"Chocolate chip ice cream cake with vanilla frosting and rainbow sprinkles, plus the yummy chocolate stuff inside, and blue and green decorating gel." Mark says, smiling brightly. "DID YOU SERIOUSLY HAVE MY DREAM BIRTHDAY CAKE MADE?!" Roger asks loudly.

Mark nods and smiles brightly, remembering a couple weeks before, when Roger had told him what his dream birthday cake would be. It took forever and cost a fortune, but it was worth it for Roger.

"I love you Mark Cohen." Roger says laughing, and already diving into the cake. By the end of the night, both boys had finished the entire cake, but not without taking a polaroid picture of it first of course.

"I can't believe we ate that entire cake." Roger says, giggling and falling back onto his bed. "Me. Neither." Mark says, doing the same. They both suddenly break into hysterical laughter, and it takes them multiple minutes to calm down.

When they are both calm enough, Roger speaks. "Thank you Mark. For everything." He says. Mark's heart feels warm. "Anything for you Rog." He says earnestly.

"This was the best birthday I ever could of asked for." Roger tells him. Mark beams at this. "I'm so glad." He says. Roger then lies down on his bed and turns of the light, and Mark lies down as well.

"Night Rog."

"Night Marky."


	4. Chapter 4: Best Birthday Ever (Part Two)

CHAPTER 4: Best Birthday Ever (part two)

Mark's birthday came just a couple weeks after Roger's. They both continued to study hard, and train for the war. Roger hadn't been drafted yet, although they both constantly checked the list that was put up each week of the people being drafted.

Sadly, when Mark's birthday did come, Roger came down with the flu. It wasn't deadly or anything, he just didn't have enough energy to make Mark's birthday as extravagant as his was. Mark was ok with this of course.

"Markkkkkk my head hurts." Roger complains to his roommate. "I can go to the infirmary and get-"

"NO! They'll make me go stay there and I like it here." Roger says, rolling onto his side. "Okay, I'll go to the convenience store and get some aspirin ok?" Mark suggests. Roger smiles. "Okay." Mark grabs his jacket and his wallet before walking out the dorm room door. Roger springs from his bed and runs to the closet where he had stashed all his decorations.

He put up blue and red (Mark's favorite colors) streamers and hung a HAPPY BIRTHDAY sign in between their beds. He puts on a Queen record, because he knows how much Mark loves Freddie Mercury. He also puts his card that he had made for Mark on top of the dresser. It was written in Roger's messy cursive handwriting in a green colored pencil, and certainly wasn't as pretty as Mark's was...but it was the thought.

Little did Mark know that his present was a song.

Roger hadn't told Mark that he played the guitar, or sang for that matter, because he wanted to surprise him. Roger looked under his bed to make sure his prized possession was still there, and pulled the guitar out of the black case, covered in stickers.

The guitar was a dark brown, that faded into black around the edges. He had spent a while working on the lyrics for the song, but only came up with a chord progression and tune two days ago, when he stayed home sick and Mark was at school.

Roger gently places the guitar on his bed and waits patiently for Mark to arrive home. When he hears Mark starting to open the door, he dashes into the closet and gets ready to jump out and yell SURPRISE as Mark had done for him.

The door opens and Roger jumps out of the closet to see Mark's vibrant blue eyes dashing around the now colorful room. "SURPRISE!" Roger yells.

"Roger! You didn't have to do this!" Mark says, putting down the plastic bag he held in his hand and smiling brightly at Roger. "I know! But I wanted to!" Roger says.

"Aw thanks Rog." Mark says, hugging Roger. "It's no problem." Roger says.

"Open your card!" He says expectantly. Mark beams and grabs the card that was lying on the wooden dresser.

"Mark, Happy Bir-"

"Don't read it out loud!" Roger says. Mark laughs at this and continues to read the note (now in his head), which was full of heartfelt messages about Mark and their friendship. Mark felt like crying it was so beautiful.

"Roger..." Mark starts, putting the card down. "That was the best card ever." He says, smiling sweetly at Roger. "I'm glad you liked it." Roger said.

"I loved it."

This is when Mark notices the guitar sitting on Roger's bed. His eyebrows furrow in confusion, and he just points to the bed. Roger smiles.

"Yeah about that...I can't really afford to buy you an engraved watch for $200 so I wrote you a song." He says, giggling.

Mark's eyes light up. "Really?!" He asks. Roger nods. "I didn't even know you played." Mark says.

"Yeah...I wanted it to be a surprise." Roger says, strumming the first chord of his song. Mark sits on his bed and looks at Roger intently.

This is when Roger hands Mark a small book, obviously handmade. "Whats this?" Mark asks.

"Open it." Roger says. And Mark does. The first page is written in the same green colored pencil as his card. It says **COUNT ON ME** ** _By Roger Davis_**.

"Follow along." Roger says. Mark is confused but then Roger starts playing. Mark flips to the next page. On it is a cartoon picture of Mark, sitting on what looks like a little island in the middle of the sea, his face looks worried and at the bottom of the page in the green colored pencil it says _**If you ever find yourself stuck in the middle of the sea...**_

As Mark reads these words, Roger sings them...and Roger's voice is something Mark didn't expect. It was beautiful. He was playing an arrangement of major chords, and Mark's eyes widened as he flipped to the next page.

It showed Mark still standing on the island, but he didn't look worried anymore, and Roger was standing right beside him, with a boat next to him. The words at the bottom of the page read: _**I'll sail the world...to find you.**_

Mark was shocked. This was fantastic. Mark continued flipping the pages to find other hilarious cartoon drawings of the two of them, while Roger's fantastic voice rang through the dorm room, singing things like _**"If you ever find yourself lost in the dark and you can't see, I'll be the light to guide you."**_ Mark almost starts laughing at the hilarious picture of himself holding a teddy bear and crying in a dark room, until the next page shows Mark smiling with Roger holding a flashlight beside him.

Mark was beyond touched. The chorus was his favorite part though.

 _ **You can count on me like 1..2..3.. I'll be there. And I know when I need it I can count on you like 4..3..2.. you'll be there, cause that's what friends are supposed to do oh yeahh.**_

Roger's voice fits the song perfectly, and Mark finds himself on the verge of tears. Thats when the bridge comes.

 ** _You'll always have my shoulder when you cry_**

Roger's voice echoes off the walls and Mark stares at the cute little cartoon drawing of him crying into Roger's shoulder, and Roger crying with him.

 _ **Ill never let go, never say goodbye...**_

Mark loses it. Tears start falling down his face. Roger continues into the final chorus.

 ** _Cause thats what friends are supposed to do oh yeahh_**

 ** _You can count on me because I can count on you._** He strums one last major chord and Mark jumps into his arms.

"Roger that was amazing." Mark tells him wholeheartedly. Roger smiles the biggest he ever had. "Thank you Marky." He says, gripping Mark tightly.

"The drawings were hilarious." Mark says, laughing and wiping the tears from his face. Roger laughs with him. "I'm so glad you liked it." Roger says. "I freakin loved it." Mark says, and now they're both sitting on Roger's bed.

"I do have one last present for you." Roger says, smiling deviously. "Roger! That song was way more than enough!" Mark says giggling. Roger shakes his head and laughs, reaching under his bed and pulling out a cardboard box. Mark eyes the box suspiciously and opens it.

Inside was a scarf, it was blue and white striped. Mark immediately pulls it out and puts it on. It was a little big, but Mark though it was perfect. "Roger this is awesome!" He says, hugging Roger for what seemed like the tenth time that day. Roger just beams and hugs him back.

Mark and Roger hung out for the rest of the day. Looking through the book of cartoon drawings and laughing, playing cards and listening to queen. It seemed like the perfect birthday. Mark didn't take the scarf off once, and continued to hum Roger's song softly to himself. Roger's headache even magically disappeared.

Finally they both decided it was time for bed. "Thanks for the best birthday ever." Mark says to Roger that night.  
"Thanks for being the best friend ever." Roger says back. This makes Mark's heart flutter. "You too." he says back to Roger. Roger smiles, and they both get into their beds.

Roger turns off the little light in between them like he usually does.

"Goodnight Mark"  
"Goodnight Roger"

They both say goodnight at the same time, and end up laughing, before falling into a deep sleep.

Author's Note: All credit to Jonathan Larson and also Bruno Mars for the song Count On Me!


	5. Chapter 5: Drafted

CHAPTER 5: Drafted

Roger stayed home sick again the following day. He had used up all his energy on Mark's birthday party. Mark was about to head out the door when he heard Roger. "Will you get my homework for me?" Mark turned around. "Yup." He said and smiled. "Ok great thanks! Have a good day!" Roger says somewhat genuinely. "You too. I'll probably stop by for lunch instead of eating in the dining hall." Mark says, getting ready to open the door.

"Ok! Oh and check the draft list for me will ya?" Roger asks. Mark's eyes widen slightly at the thought of the draft list, and he turns around to say something. Roger notices the worry in his friends eyes. "I wanna see if that annoying Billy kid from science got chosen. I want him out of here!" Roger says with a chuckle. Mark feels slightly relieved, but the thought still lingers in the back of his head. "Yeah." He says with a laugh and walks out the door.

Mark goes through his school day as normal, and then it comes time for lunch. He quickly gets food from the dining hall and is about to head back to the dorms when he realizes he hasn't checked the draft list. He walks over to the board on which it was posted. There were about 20 or so names on the list, and his eyes scanned quickly for Roger's and he felt extremely relived when he didn't see his name anywhere. He also almost laughed out loud when he saw Billy's name on the list.

Roger would be happy.

He is about to walk away when he notices one more name on the list.

 ** _Mark Cohen_**

What.

NO. Please no. This isn't happening. This can't be. This isn't...

Mark feels numbness. He can't feel his emotions because they are far too intense. He just walks. Walks far away from the list and back to his dorm room. It'd be ok. He had Roger. Roger would fix it. It'd be ok.

He slowly makes his way up the grand staircase and down the hall to his dorm room. Finally, being so close to his room...he felt something. It was one big wave of emotion. Of dread and horror and sadness and anger and anxiousness. He couldn't handle it. He put his key into the slot on the door and turned the knob.

He opened the door and walked in, automatically putting his food on his bed. His blue eyes dart to Roger, who is sitting in bed reading. "Hey Mark, how was school?" He looks up. Roger's face falls quickly. "Mark?"

"Mark whats wrong?" He asks, putting his book down without even marking the page.

"I..." Mark starts but can't put it into words. "You what?" Roger asks anxiously. He pushes the covers off himself and stands up.

"I...I got drafted." Marks says, leaning against his bedpost.

Roger stops in his tracks. "You got...you got drafted?" Roger isn't even comprehending what Mark had just said. He knew that one of them would get drafted sooner or later...he just thought that it would be him. Not Mark. And certainly not the day after he turned 17.

Mark nods and looks at Roger with teary blue eyes. "Roger." He says weakly, falling forward into Roger's arms. Suddenly Roger feels a vibrant mix of anger and sadness. "Its ok." Roger says, gripping tightly on to Mark's small form.

"We can appeal...You don't have to go." He tells Mark reassuringly, but Mark just continues to cry heavily.

"I won't let you go Mark." He tells him. Mark is so much shorter than Roger, that his head barely goes past Roger's shoulder. Mark just nods, burying his head into Roger's chest and crying. Roger rubs circles into Mark's back.

"I promise you'll be okay...we'll be okay. Nothings gonna change Mark. You're gonna stay here with me. I don't care if we have to run away, I'm not letting you out of my sight. Not now, not ever." Roger tries to calm Mark down, but now he is crying too.

"I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry I'll fix it. Shhhh..." Roger continues to reassure Mark until he has finally calmed down. This is when Mark pulls away. But suddenly, Roger feels something. Something he hadn't felt before, or at least not consciously. But now he has to do something about it.

Without a thought, Roger puts his hands on either sides of Mark's face and pulls him in, crashing his lips against his own. Mark goes stiff and Roger feels a huge pang of regret, until Mark grabs Roger shirt in his hands and leans into the kiss. Roger smiles against Mark's lips and pushes him up against the bed, before Mark falls backward, with Roger on top of him.

"Roger." Mark says. "Mark." Roger says back.

"Maybe...We...should..." Mark stops talking. Both boys continue making out on Mark's bed until they both finally pull away.

"I think I love you." Roger says.

Mark nods. "I think I love you too."


	6. Chapter 6: Because I Love You

Author's Note: I just wrote this entire chapter, and then my computer shut down and deleted it all. Thanks apple. All reviews are appreciated! Enjoy!

CHAPTER 6: Because I love You

"I'm so glad we're together." Mark says to Roger, as they both lie down for bed. "Yeah me too." Roger says back, although his voice doesn't sound too enthusiastic. "What's wrong?" Mark asks, turning to face Roger from his bed. Roger turns to look at Mark as well. "I just...I don't think I want to come out to everyone yet." He says, and makes a face as if he's bracing himself for Mark's wrath.

"That's ok Rog, as long as you still love me." Mark says back. Roger feels relieved and he smiles. "Of course I still love you babe." Roger says to Mark. "We're a real life couple." He says. Mark smiles at the thought. "Yeah."

 _Too bad I'm being forced into the army._ He thinks to himself.

They had tried to appeal, but Mark's physical fitness was secure, and there was no other reason for him not to go...unless he purposely threw himself out the window so he would be injured, although that didn't seem like an option at the moment.

Just then there was a knock on the door. Mark and Roger exchange a glance, and Mark get's up to answer the door. The room is flooded with a pool of light. Mark squints to see a tall man in a suit standing outside there door. "You Mark Cohen?" He asks. Mark nods meekly.

"Your troop leaves tomorrow." He says, handing Mark a piece of paper with some information on it. This is when Roger shows up behind Mark. "Thanks." He says, grabbing Mark's shoulder and closing the door. They both walk back into the dark room.

Mark stares at the floor. He observes he and Roger's feet. Neither of them say anything for a moment.

"I'm not ready." Mark says, still staring at the ground. Roger's heart breaks at how sad and scared Mark looked. He just pulled him into his arms. "You'll be ok. I'll figure it out." Roger says reassuringly.

"I leave tomorrow. That's not enough time to figure it out." Mark says, trying not to cry. Roger hugs him harder. "I'll figure it out." He says once more. "Just try and get some sleep."

And with that, they both lied down on their beds.

"I love you Roger."

"I love you too Mark."

And they both fell into a deep sleep.

...

Mark woke up the next morning, feeling okay. Until he realized that he was leaving for war that day. It hit him like a ton of bricks. He looked over to Roger's bed, hoping for some comfort, and then realized that Roger's bed was unoccupied.

Well that's odd. Mark then notices a piece of paper on the bed side table. _Went to the store. Be back before classes start- Roger_

Mark had become completely numb with the idea of his departure, but still felt sad that Roger had left him alone. He had training first that morning, so he rummaged quickly through his trunk, pulling out his uniform.

It was one of those stereotypical camouflage ones that people in the army wore. On one sleeve it had an American flag. On the other it had a gold star with his name under it in gold italic writing. _Mark Cohen._

Wait.

Mark does a double take. It's not his name on the sleeve, but Roger's.

"Shit." Mark says aloud to himself. It dawns on him what Roger had done. He had taken Mark's uniform and pretended to be him, so that Mark wouldn't have to go. Mark's heart drops and he sees another note in the pocket of the uniform.

 _I'm sorry. I couldn't lose you Mark. I figured this was the only way I wouldn't have to. By the time you find this, I'm probably already on my way to the camp. I'm so sorry babe. I love you-Roger_

Mark loses it.

He pulls on Roger's uniform in frustration, rolling up the sleeves that were too long for him. He grabs a canvas back and starts angrily stuffing water bottle and energy bars into it. Along with all the money he had, and the illegal shotgun that Roger kept under his bed.

Mark had a plan.

He dashed out the door and down the marble staircase. His heart drops when he sees the troop buses pulling away. "WAIT!" He screams, although he knows no one can hear him. He dashes out the door, trying to catch up with the last bus to leave. "WAIT!" He yells once more, and miraculously the bus slows down. Mark dashes to the door which opens for him.

He looks up at the old driver. "Is Rog-" He stops himself. "Is Mark Cohen on this bus?" He asks urgently. The bus driver goes through a list of names. "Mark Cohen? Ah yes. Do you need to speak to him?" The man asks, somewhat impatiently.

"Yes! Urgently!" Mark says. The man rolls his eyes. "He's back there." He says, pointing to the back of the bus. "Hurry up. We're supposed to be at the camp by 12:30." Mark feels a surge of relief wash through him and he jumps up into the bus.

He walks down the isle, his eyes searching frantically for Roger. He feels his heart plummet when he doesn't see him, until he hears someone say "Mark?"

Mark turns around to see his boyfriend sitting alone with his bag beside him. "Roger!" Mark shouts, sitting down next to him. "What the hell are you doing here?" Roger asks, looking worried. "I'm saving us." Mark says. Roger's eyebrows furrow, and a look of shock crosses his face when Mark pulls out his shotgun. "Mark what the heck are you doing?" Roger asks. Mark just shakes his head. "This is gonna hurt like a bitch." He says, loading the gun and pointing it at his leg.

Before Roger even says anything, Mark shoots, but keeps himself from yelling. He simply grabs his bag and Roger's hand, running toward the front of the bus. His leg hurts like hell and the back of the bus is in a panic at the sound of a gun shot. "LET US OFF THE BUS!" Mark yells at the driver. "What's going on?!" The driver asks.

"Someone in the back's got a gun and he's shooting at people!" Mark says, trying to withstand the pain. "You okay?" The driver asks. "He shot me...please just let-let us off." Mark pleads. Without another word, the driver opens the door for the two boys, heading to the back of the bus to investigate. Mark and Roger jump of the bus, and Mark starts dashing down the street with Roger at his side.

"WHAT THE HECK MARK?!" Roger yells. "I need-needed to-to get-get y-y-ou out of there." Mark says, on the verge of tears. Roger doesn't say anything, and Mark pulls him into a grove of trees.

He knew exactly where he was going. Despite the extreme pain in his leg, Mark continued running at full force. "Where are we going?!" Roger asks. Mark just points in front of them. And Roger suddenly notices a small train station.

Mark runs up to the ticket booth. "Two tickets for the 10:30 train to New York please." He says, keeping his voice as steady as possible. Roger checks his gold watch and sees that it's 10:28. The man at the booth slides two tickets across the counter and Mark throws some dollar bills at him. "Keep the change." Mark says, running toward the train with Roger behind him.

"Mark you need to breath." Roger says. "I'm fine." Mark says, boarding the train and going four carts down. He collapses in a booth and Roger sits across from him. Suddenly, Roger notices that Mark's face is as pale as a sheet, and he's shaking pretty bad.

Roger runs to sit down next to Mark, lifting his leg up onto his lap. He examines the wound, seeing that it was pretty bad. "Shit Mark." Roger says under his breath. Roger reaches into his bag, pulling out a first aid kit. Mark's eyes grow wide. "Roger please don't...I'm f-f-fine. I p-pr-promise." He says.

Roger shakes his head. "I'm sorry Mark." Roger says, readjusting Mark's leg in his lap and pulling out some tweezers. He then hand Mark a shirt from his bag. "What-what's this f-fo-for?" Mark asks. Roger takes the shirt and fold it into some sort of rectangle.

"Bite down on this." Roger says, handing it back to Mark. Mark's face was getting sadder and paler with each second, so Roger just shoved it in his mouth. Mark shut his eyes tightly, and Roger commenced his search for the bullet. At first he couldn't find it in all the blood, but after cleaning some of it up, he saw the tip of the silver bullet sticking out. It was way too deep.

"Mark this is gonna hurt. This is gonna hurt a lot, but it's gonna be okay." Roger tells Mark. Mark opens his blue eyes and nods. Roger takes the tweezers and sticks them into the wound, trying to get a grip on the bullet. Mark's knuckles turn white from gripping so tightly to the table, and his loud screams are muffled by Roger's shirt.

Thankfully, there was no one else in that car to witness the scene. Roger finally stuck the tweezers in far enough to grab the bullet. "I'm gonna pull it out now okay?" Roger asks Mark, although Mark knew he didn't have a choice. He just nodded and squeezed his eyes shut once more.

"On three." Roger says. "One...two." Roger pulls the bullet right out of the wound before even saying three. Mark lets out a groan, and eventually calms down.

Roger quickly cleans up the wound, and wraps it in gauze, happy to see that the bleeding had stopped. He slowly put Mark's leg down, and Mark gave Roger back his t-shirt, which was now covered in his saliva.

Roger pulls Mark into his arms. "You're okay." He says, and Mark hugs him back. "Thank you Roger." He says. "Of course." He tells Mark.

Roger eventually pulls away and goes to sit across from Mark again.

"Why would you do that?" Roger asks. Mark knew what he was talking about. "Because I love you." He says back. Roger's eyes tear up.

"Why are we going to New York?" He asks. "Because you told me that the one place you'd want to live on your own would be New York City. I knew we would have to go somewhere busy, so it'd be difficult for anyone to find us. New York City seemed perfect." Mark says, looking Roger in the eyes.

Roger nods. "You're perfect." He tells Mark.

Mark shakes his head. "God I love you." He says, leaning across the table to kiss Roger on the lips. Roger kissed him back.


	7. Chapter 7: Hotel

Chapter 7: Hotel

The train arrived at grand central station several hours later. "Mark we're here." Roger nudges Mark awake from his previous position in Roger's lap. "...Hmmm?" Mark mumbles sleepily. "We're here!" Roger says a little louder this time, smiling at Mark's cuteness.

Mark lifts his head up and rubs his eyes quickly. "Oh...we're here." He says, obviously confused. Roger full out laughs this time, handing Mark his glasses. It takes Mark a moment, but eventually he gets off Roger's lap and smiles. Mark and Roger then grab their bags, and as Mark stood up, he winced. "You okay?" Roger asks, putting a hand on Mark's shoulder. "Yeah...just forgot that I shot myself in the leg." Mark laughs and continues out of the car with Roger behind him.

The step off the platform and take in the beauty of Grand Central. "Whoa." Mark says, observing the station. "Well damn." Roger says, taking in the view as well. Neither had been in such an extravagant and crowded place before, so they both were taken away by the view.

"Come on." Mark says, grabbing Roger's hand and pulling him toward the exit. They walked out the grand doors and breathed in the fresh city air. "This is amazing Mark." Roger tells him. Mark smiles a silly smile and nods. They make their way down multiple streets, and Mark seemed to know exactly where they were going.

After a couple wrong turns and lots of walking in circles, they stopped in front of a tall building, still holding hands. "Mark what is-"

"Shhh! Trust me!" Mark says, leading Roger through the revolving doors, suitcases in hand. Mark waltz's right up to the front desk. The man at the front desk looks up from underneath his glasses, and cocks one eyebrow suspiciously. "Are you looking for your parents?" He asks, nonchalantly. Mark gulps and musters up some courage.

"I have a reservation actually." Mark says, surprised by how strong and mature his voice sounded. The man at the desk nearly spits out the coffee which he was drinking. "You look a little young." He says. "You have to be 20 to make a reservation here."

Mark pulls himself together once more. He then reaches into his bag and pulls out an ID.

 **MARK COHEN**

 **(Profile Picture)**

 **OCTOBER 29TH 1950-?**

The man raises an eyebrow. "1953 eh?" He says questioningly. Mark nods assuringly. The man takes a moment and looks at Roger before continuing. "It under your name?" He asks. Mark nods once more. The man goes through a list off names and stops on one. He looks up one last time before reaching for a key and handing it to Mark.

"Enjoy your stay." He says sarcastically with a smile to match. Mark smiles decently back. "Thanks."

He and Roger continue towards the elevator, and once the doors close they both start laughing hysterically. "Are you looking for your parents?!" Roger says in a mocking British accent and Mark can't contain himself. It's not until they reach their room that they both calm down.

"I can't believe you did that Cohen." Roger says, patting Mark on the back. Mark beams at him and uses the key to open the door. The second the door opens both of their eyes widen. "Oh my god." Roger says, taking in the room. IT WAS HUGE.

There was an entire wall that was simply one huge window from floor to ceiling. There was only one bed and it was king sized, and had it's own separate room with a television. There was a large sitting area with a leather couch and a mahogany coffee table. In the corner there was a little breakfast bar, and a mini fridge that was filled with soda and food.

"Mark...how the hell are we gonna pay for this." Roger asks, breathing in the entire room. Mark just laughs. "I've got it covered, just enjoy yourself."

Roger smiled. "God I love you." He says, throwing his arms around Mark's neck.  
"I love you too."


	8. Chapter 8: Job

Mark woke up in Roger's arms, smiling. He turned around to face Roger and smiled when he saw Roger's long hair stuck to his face. Mark brushed it away gently, kissing Roger on the forehead. "Morning babe." He said. Roger opened his eyes, looking around confused for a moment, before smiling and pulling Mark closer to him.

"I don't wanna get up yet." He mumble into Mark's neck. Mark just hummed and hugged his thin arms around Roger's muscular frame. They stayed like that for a while, before deciding to get up. They both quickly got dressed and decided to go get some breakfast. It was sunny out and they both felt like a walk would do them good.

After leaving the hotel and starting down the street, Mark began to worry. How were they gonna get money after all of his ran out? How were they going to survive? What would his parents think? Were the cops going to come after him? These were all questions that Mark had ignored when he left, his need to leave much stronger than any regret.

"How about here?" Roger asks, pulling him out of his thoughts. Mark looks up to see a cute little cafe on the corner of the street. _Life Cafe_. Mark nodded and smiled. "Yeah, sure."

They both walked in and looked around for a table, finding a booth in the corner. A waiter came over and took their orders, and they both sat for a moment. That is until Mark decided to ask Roger all the things he had been thinking. "Roger, how are we gonna live here?" Mark asks, looking at Roger intently. Roger surprises him and shrugs. "I'm not sure, we'll figure it out." He says noncholantly.

"Well we'll have to get jobs." Mark says. Roger nods. "And we're gonna have to find an apartment sooner or later." Roger nods. "And I mean then we're gonna-"

"Mark!" Roger ends Mark's little rant. "We'll figure it out okay? I promise." Roger grabs Mark's hand. Mark just nods and smiles, trying to enjoy his breakfast with the person whom he loved so dearly.

...

They spent the rest of the day walking around and exploring. They went to a few parks, and ate lunch again at the Life Cafe which they had grown to like. They eventually walked back to the hotel, both of them thinking of money and jobs. Two building before the hotel, there was a wall, and it had a couple posters on it. Mark stopped to look, a HELP WANTED sign catching his eye. It was for a diner nearby. "Maybe we can work there?" Mark asks Roger.

Roger nods, continuing to examine the list. His eyes stop at a picture of a guitar. The said that help was needed at a nearby music store. Roger's eyes lit up. "How about there?!" He asks Mark more enthusiastically. Mark giggles. "Roger, I know nothing about guitars, at least I can-"

"Come on Marky!" Roger whines. Mark laughs. "Fine." He says, writing down the number and heading back to the hotel with Roger at his side. After reaching the hotel room, Mark picks up the phone and calls the store. Someone picks up after a couple rings. "Hello?" A man with a new york accent picks up.

"Hi, I'm Mark Cohen, I saw your help wanted poster." He said. The man on the other line coughs. "Oh yeah, we could really use some help around here! When can you work boy?" He asks. Mark smiles. "Well actually, my friend and I were both looking for a job...we've got nothing else going on." Mark can almost hear the man smile.

"Great! I'll hire you both! Stop by tomorrow at 8 ok?" He asks. Mark agrees and hangs up the phone, telling Roger the good news. "He didn't want resumes or anything?" Roger asks, skeptical. Mark shrugs and shakes his head, hugging Roger.

They both went to bed early that night, anticipating the day that awaited them.


	9. Chapter 9: We'll Be Alright

Author's Note: Hey y'all! I'm not sure if I'm gonna continue this story much longer:/ I want to write another RentxReader soon...Not sure what I'm gonna doXD But please review! It means a lot! Thanks guys! Enjoy!

Chapter 9: We'll be alright

Mark and Roger both woke up early the next morning. "Whats the time?" Roger mumbles into Mark's ear. Mark turns to check the clock next to the bed. "Seven-Thirty." He says back, sleepy. Roger mumbles something.

"Hmm?" Mark asks. "When do we have to leeavve..." Roger mumbles, still half asleep. Marks eyes widen. "In like thirty minutes!" He yells, jumping out of bed. Mark goes over to his bag and realizes he didn't bring that many clothes. He eventually pulls out some navy blue pants and his favorite striped sweater. He brushes his hair and realizes something is missing. But what?

"MY SCARF!" Mark yells, looking around frantically. He looks through his bag and doesn't see it, although he knew he didn't bring it with him. It was probably back at school...and he couldn't go back there again. By now Roger has sat up. "Huh?" He asks confused.

"MY SCARF ROGER! THE ONE YOU GOT ME! YOU KNOW THE WHITE AND BLUE ONE?!" He yells, still searching. After a minute Roger still hasn't said anything. "Oh Roger...that was my favorite scarf and I left it at that damn school. How could I have forgotten it?!" Mark says, not looking at Roger. He feels tears spring to his eyes. He knows his emotional attachment to the piece of cloth was a little insane, but he couldn't get past it.

Mark gets annoyed that Roger hasn't said anything. "Roger?" Mark asks, turning around. His blue eyes widen, and smile creeps up his face when he sees Roger standing there with the scarf. "Roger why do you have it?!" Mark asks, ecstatic. Roger smirks. "I wanted to take something of yours with me...to remember you I guess. It smells like you, it reminds me of you. It seemed like a good idea." Roger says.

Mark takes a moment to appreciate Roger's sweetness. "It was a great idea." Mark says, taking the scarf and putting it on, sighing contently at the feel of it around his neck. "Get dressed! We need to be there in 20 minutes, and I want to eat breakfast!" Mark says, turning back to Roger. Roger groans, standing up and getting ready.

After they have both eaten a small breakfast from what they found in the refrigerator in their room, they both put on their coats and head out the door. The cold morning air greets them both. Roger smiles at Mark. "I'm so excited." He says, and Mark could tell. Although Mark wasn't super pumped for the job, he pretended to be for Roger. "Me too." Mark replies, grabbing Roger's hand.

They find the store quickly, it wasn't that far from the hotel. They soon realized that they had wandered into east village. "Hey look it's the life!" Roger says, realizing that the store was adjacent to the life cafe. Marks smiles. "Oh yeah! Maybe we can get lunch there after." He adds, heading towards the music store.

Both boys walk up to the front counter where they see an older looking man working on something with the cash register. "Hi..." Mark starts, trying to sound as professional as he could. "I'm Mark and this is my friend Roger...we're the ones who-"

"OH! You're the boys who called last night eh?" The man interrupts in a heavy what sounded like a Brooklyn accent. "Yeah thats us." Mark says. "Great! I've been searching forever for some new employees. My last guy just quit, so it's just me." He says. Mark wonders why so many people quit, but passes the thought quickly.

"So...How about I pay you both $20 and hour?" He says. Mark smiles. "That'd be great." He tells him. The man smiles back. "Ok...so one of you can go stack the vinyl records back there, I need those in order of artist and genre...and one of you can stay out here and help people with instruments. Do either of ya know anythin about guitars?" He asks. Roger nods. "Yeah I know a little." He says.

"Great, you work out here. Mark, you go stack the records. You can switch off whenever ya want." He says, continuing his work on the cash register. The young boys nod and thank him, getting straight to work. They hang around for about 6 hours, stacking records and helping customers. It was pretty easy, and almost fun.

Finally the store owner who they had come to know as 'Jack' told them they could leave.

"I don't usually pay until the end of the month, but I just got a bunch of cash in and I finally fixed this damn register, so here's your money for the week." Jack says, handing them both wads of cash. Their eyes widen at the sight of it, and they thank him and say goodbye.

Although it's already 2:00, they decide to go to the life cafe anyway. After sitting down, they immediately start counting the money.

Once they finish they both look at eachother. "Holy sh#t." Roger says. "He pays a lot." Mark nods, in shock. "How much did you count?" He asks.

"Six hundred bucks." Roger responds. Mark nods. "Yeah me too." They both look at eachother. "Thats twelve hundred dollars!" Mark yells. Roger's eyes widen even further. "We could afford an apartment!" He yells. "And food!" Mark yells back. They both start laughing, giddy. Soon their food comes and they are both even happier than before, which seemed impossible.

"We'll be alright." Roger says smiling and taking a bite of his french fry. Mark smiles and takes a bite of his as well.

"Yeah...we'll be alright."


	10. Chapter 10: New York City

Author's Note: Okay, so after some thinking I've decided that this is the last chapter of this story. Kinda sad about that, but I really want to start another story sooooo...Thanks to everyone who has been reading this! Please take a look at my other RENT story if you haven't already and please enjoy this final chapter! XOXO:)

CHAPTER 10:

"You know what's crazy?!" Roger asks, sitting down on the tattered couch in their loft apartment. "Hmm?" Mark asks, looking up from his book, peering through his glasses. Roger takes a moment to start. "If you hadn't come after me when I was leaving for the war-" He pauses.

"If you hadn't shot yourself in the damn leg, we wouldn't be here right now." He says, laughing a bit. Mark smiles. "Yeah."

After getting a steady cash flow from working at Jack's music store, they managed to find a small apartment on the corner of 11th street and Avenue B in East Village. It was only a few blocks from Jack's and the Life Cafe.

When they moved in there, they had just enough money to rent it, but needed more for food and such...the solution was a roommate.

They met Tom Collins at the Life Cafe, and after talking for a while, they invited him to come over. One thing led to another and now they were rooming with him.

Mark and Roger were still dating. There were bound to be a few bumps in the road of course, but they got through it.

They were both around 20-something now, and living happily in their little loft.

"You know what's even crazier?" Roger asks. "What?" Mark replies, staring intently at the young musician. "That we met each other." He said. Mark looks at him with slight confusion. Roger catches on and rephrases.

"I mean of all the people we could have roomed with...we got put together. And now we're dating!" Roger says. Mark laughs a little. "Yeah...yeah I guess so."

All this talk about school reminds Mark of something. He chuckles a little to himself, looking down at his hand, staring intently at the white scar running across it. Roger never knew.

"Hey Rog?" Mark says. "Yeah?" Roger questions.

"I gotta tell you something." Mark says, not sounding very serious. "Sure." Roger says. Mark looks at his hand again.

"Remember that kid Timmy from school?" Mark asks.

Roger takes a moment to remember, until a funny look of realization crosses his face. "Yeah." He says with a laugh. "He was a d**k." Roger says, and they both laugh.

"Well do you also remember when he invited you to jump off that bridge and you brought me with you?" Mark asks. Roger nods, smiling but not saying anything. Mark laughs slightly at how childish it seemed now. "Well when I was about to jump off after you, I was kinda freaking out...and Timmy was getting impatient." Mark pauses and laughs a little.

"So he pushed me off, and my hand was still on the rusty railing...and my hand like split open." At this point Roger's eyes widened. "But you didn't notice, because it was dark and we were in the water. So when we got out I grabbed my white t-shirt and wrapped it around my hand so no one would see...and then I remember you telling me to put my shirt on because it was cold, and me saying that I was hot. And then I said I was taking a shower when we got back, but really I was stitching my hand up with stuff I found in the bathroom. I always meant to tell you, but I never did. With all the time we spent together I'm surprised you didn't notice." Mark finishes and laughs in spite of himself. "I just thought you would want to know." He says.

Mark looks up at Roger who's staring at him in shock. "Did that really happen?!" He asks. Mark nods. "Aw Marky! I'm sorry! I should have never forced you to come with me and those idiots!" Roger says, genuinely sorry. Mark gets up and goes to sit next to Roger.

"It's okay Roger, really." He says, resting his head on Roger's shoulder.

They both sit like that for a moment before Mark speaks. "I'm so glad we didn't go to Vietnam." He says. Roger smiles.

"Yeah. New York city is much better."

And with that, they both fell into a serene sleep, forever entangled in each others arms.


End file.
